A splash of flavor

Wine makes any gathering festive, especially when you spread it around a little. This season, try splashing it into entrées, salads, sides, and desserts as a flavorful way to liven up recipes—without adding fat.

Different wines impart their own individual tastes—oak, fruit, dry, sweet—to whatever dish they enhance, says David Kamen, associate professor of culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America. “Plus, [wines’] acid helps cleanse the palate, and the sugar gives you a little balance,” he says. Nora Pouillon, owner and executive chef of certified-organic Restaurant Nora in Washington, D.C., uses full-bodied wines “to add earthy, complex flavors to sauces and stews,” as well as sweet dessert wines for after-dinner treats. (Pouillon created the recipe for wine-poached pears, featured on our cover and below.)

In general, the better the wine, the better it will taste in your food. But you don’t have to spend a lot; most of the organic wines used in these recipes cost less than $20. Pick up a bottle or two and pour on some flavor. Just remember to save a glass to toast your results.

Pears Poached in Sauternes with Chocolate SauceServes 4 / Pears are a perfect match for sweet, light dessert wines, and chocolate adds a special-occasion touch. This recipe from Nora Pouillon, owner of Restaurant Nora in Washington, D.C., uses a half-bottle (called a split) of Sauternes, made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscatel grapes shriveled to concentrated ripeness. Barsac or late-harvest wines can be substituted. Make sure pears are fully ripe for best flavor.

1. Use a small melon baller or a pointed vegetable peeler to scoop out seeds and core from the bottom of the pears, leaving pears whole.

2. Pour wine into a nonreactive saucepan just large enough to hold the pears in a single layer. Add lemon peel and cloves and bring to a boil. Add pears, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 10–15 minutes, occasionally turning pears for even cooking.

3. Remove pears from saucepan and keep warm. Boil remaining liquid until wine is reduced to 1/2 cup and has a syrupy consistency. Remove saucepan from heat and remove cloves. Add chocolate and stir to melt and combine. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

4. Place each pear on a rimmed dessert plate and spoon one-fourth of the chocolate sauce over and around it. Garnish with a 1 tablespoon light whipped cream and a mint leaf.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Calories: 254 calories

% fat calories: 41

Fat: 12g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 8mg

Protein: 2g

Carbohydrate: 37g

Fiber: 2g

Sodium: 7mg

Cranberry-Apple Merlot SauceMakes about 3 cups / Traditional cranberry sauce often lacks one thing—spice! This recipe uses plenty, and the fruity Merlot balances out the tart cranberries. If it’s too tart for you, use a sweeter apple like Fuji in place of the Granny Smith. Organic wine suggestion: Frey Vineyards Merlot.

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine raisins and red wine in small bowl; set aside.

2. Prick each sweet potato with a fork and bake. After 45 minutes, place parsnips in a small casserole dish and set in oven. Continue baking for 45 minutes more. When potatoes and parsnips are soft to the touch, remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, remove sweet-potato skins and place pulp in a medium bowl. Mash until smooth. Mash parsnips separately, then add to sweet potatoes and stir to combine. Add honey, butter, and spices; combine thoroughly. Stir in raisin-wine mixture.

How much alcohol burns off? All the alcohol in wine evaporates when cooked—right? Actually, it depends on several factors, including cooking time and temperature. The longer and hotter a dish is cooked, the less alcohol remains; for example, 75 percent of the alcohol remains after flaming a dish, but only 10 percent is left after two hours of baking or simmering. Dish size also affects evaporation; the smaller the surface area, the more alcohol is retained. Still, wine generally doesn’t contain a lot of alcohol to begin with—usually about 12 percent to 14 percent— so cook to suit your preferences.

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, carrots, parsnips, onion, and chicken broth. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add white wine and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place in an 8x11-inch casserole dish, sprinkle with oregano, rosemary, and sage, and cover with broth-vegetable mixture.

3. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Calories: 158 calories

% fat calories: 21

Fat: 4g

Saturated Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 47mg

Protein: 22g

Carbohydrate: 10g

Fiber: 2g

Sodium: 177mg

Pumpkin-Chardonnay-Mushroom RisottoServes 8 / A colorful addition to the holiday table. For variety, add other types of winter squash, or try using a dry Jack cheese in place of the grated Parmesan. Organic wine suggestion: Badger Mountain Chardonnay.

Pomegranate-Spinach Salad with Cabernet DressingServes 4 / Pomegranate seeds (also called arils) add eye-popping red to this green salad. Pomegranates are available in grocery stores throughout the fall and in specialty stores during the later winter months. Organic wine suggestion: Badger Mountain Meritage.

To avoid stains, submerge pomegranates in water while slicing. Cut into quarters, then bend sections backward to remove seeds. Discard peel and white membranes.